Geranium plant named ‘Fisum Dark Red’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Zonal  Geranium  plant named ‘Fisum Dark Red’, characterized by its upright and slightly outwardly spreading growth habit; rounded plant habit; freely basal branching habit; dark green-colored leaves; freely flowering habit; semi-double dark red-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Pelargonium×hortorum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Fisum Dark Red’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Zonal Geranium, botanically known as Pelargonium×hortorum, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Fisum Dark Red’.

The new Zonal Geranium is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact, freely-branching and freely-flowering Zonal Geranium cultivars that flower early and have attractive foliage and flower coloration.

The new Zonal Geranium originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands of two unnamed proprietary selections of Pelargonium×hortorum, not patented, in August, 2004. The cultivar Fisum Dark Red was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands, in 2004.

Asexual reproduction of the new Zonal Geranium by vegetative terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands, since 2004, has shown that the unique features of this new Zonal Geranium are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Fisum Dark Red has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature, daylength and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Fisum Dark Red’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Fisum Dark Red’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Zonal Geranium:

-   -   1. Upright and slightly outwardly spreading growth habit;         rounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely basal branching habit.     -   3. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Semi-double dark red-colored flowers.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Zonal Geranium differ primarily from plants of the parent selections in plant size and uniformity as plants of the new Geranium are more compact and more uniform than plants of the parent selections.

Plants of the new Zonal Geranium can be compared to plants of Pelargonium×hortorum ‘Fisum Red’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,106. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Zonal Geranium differed from plants of ‘Fisum Red’ primarily in flower color as plants of the new Zonal Geranium have darker red-colored flowers than plants of ‘Fisum Red’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Zonal Geranium, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Zonal Geranium. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Fisum Dark Red’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in De Lier, The Netherlands in a glass-covered greenhouse during the autumn and winter and under conditions which closely approximate commercial production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 12° C. to 20° C. and night temperatures ranged from 9° C. to 16° C. Plants were twelve weeks old when the photograph and the description were taken. In the detailed description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Pelargonium×hortorum ‘Fisum Dark Red’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Pelargonium×hortorum, not patented.         -   Male or pollen parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Pelargonium×hortorum, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About four days at             temperatures of 22° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at             temperatures of 22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 16 days             at temperatures of 22° C. to 30° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 21 days             at temperatures of 20° C. to 25° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; whitish grey             in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching, moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   General appearance.—Upright and outwardly spreading growth             habit; rounded and uniformly mounded plant habit; densely             foliated.         -   Growth and branching habit.—Moderately vigorous to vigorous             growth habit. Freely basal branching habit with about four             or five basal branches developing per plant.         -   Plant height, to top of umbels.—About 30 cm to 32 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 28 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 6 cm to 8 cm. Diameter:             About 5 mm to 8 mm. Internode length: About 1 cm to 3 cm.             Texture: Pubescent. Strength: Strong, sturdy. Color: Close             to 144B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate; simple.         -   Length (including petiole).—About 11 cm to 13 cm.         -   Width.—About 7 cm to 9 cm.         -   Shape.—Orbicular.         -   Apex.—Rounded.         -   Base.—Cordate.         -   Margin.—Crenate; slightly undulate.         -   Venation pattern.—Palmate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Densely pubescent.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: Close to 137C.             Developing foliage, lower surface: Close to 146B. Fully             developed, upper surface: Close to 137B; venation, close to             144C. Fully developed, lower surface: Close to 146A;             venation, close to 144C. Zonation pattern: Faint, close to             177A in color.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 3 cm to 7 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm to             3 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement.—Semi-double rotate flowers arranged in             rounded hemispherical umbels arising from apical leaf axils.             Umbels displayed above the foliage on strong peduncles.             Flowers face upright to outward. Flowers not fragrant.         -   Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering habit; about nine to             eleven umbels develop per plant, each umbel with about 12 to             30 flowers.         -   Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions. In             an outdoor nursery in De Lier, The Netherlands, flowering is             continuous from late spring until frost in the autumn.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about two to eight             days on the plant. Flowers persistent.         -   Umbel height.—About 5 cm to 8 cm.         -   Umbel diameter.—About 5 cm to 8 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 4 cm to 5 cm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 4 cm to 5 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2 mm to 19 mm. Diameter: About 2             mm to 15 mm. Shape: Globular to elliptical. Color: Close to             144B.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: About five to 14. Length: About             2.5 cm to 2.8 cm. Width: About 2.5 cm to 2.8 cm. Shape:             Spatulate to obovate. Apex: Rounded. Base: Attenuate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper             surface: Between 45A and 53B; color becoming closer to 53C             with development. When opening and fully opened, lower             surface: Close to 46C.         -   Petaloids.—Quantity per flower: Typically one. Length: About             1 mm to 2 cm. Width: About 2 mm to 2 cm. Shape: Irregularly             shaped; obovate to irregularly oblanceolate. Apex: Rounded.             Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper and             lower surfaces: Between 45A and 53C. Fully opened, upper and             lower surfaces: Between 45A and 53C.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Five, arranged in a single             whorl. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Oblong             to ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Densely pubescent. Color,             immature, upper surface: Close to 143C; stripes towards the             base, close to 47A. Color, immature, lower surface: Close to             143B; stripes towards the base, close to 47A. Color, mature,             upper surface: Close to 143C tinted with close to 47A.             Color, immature, lower surface: Close to 144A tinted with             close to 46A.         -   Peduncle (umbel stem).—Length: About 14 cm to 17 cm.             Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength: Strong. Angle: Erect to             about 30° C. from vertical. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close             to 146B.         -   Pedicel (individual flower stem).—Length: About 2.5 cm to             3 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm to 2 mm. Strength: Moderately             strong. Angle: Erect to about 60° C. from vertical. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: Close to 183A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity per flower:             About one to ten. Filament length: About 5 mm to 6 mm.             Filament color: Close to 161A. Anther length: About 2 mm to             3 mm. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther color: Close to 161A.             Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 33B.             Gynoecium: Pistil quantity per flower: One. Pistil length:             About 9 mm to 12 mm. Stigma shape: Tapering; reflexed.             Stigma color: Close to 45A. Style length: About 4 mm to             5 mm. Style color: Close to 45A. Ovary color: Close to 143A.         -   Seed.—Seed development has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Zonal     Geranium. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have been     observed to tolerate rain, wind, and temperatures ranging from about     0° C. to about 40° C. and have demonstrated good garden performance. 

1. A new and distinct Zonal Geranium plant named ‘Fisum Dark Red’ as illustrated and described. 